1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substance collecting apparatus for a precipitation classifying device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A precipitation classifying device is an equipment for classifying various substances within a liquid into different groups by the size and/or density of each, taking advantage of the difference of the sedimentation rates of the respective substances.
As an example of the equipment of this kind, there has been provided a device as disclosed in Patent Publication Heisei No. 3-99, in which various substances dispersed in a liquid and including the ones to be classified are put in a container which is provided with a piston so that its bottom can be vertically slid up and down, and after generating a rising flow with no turbulent flow therein by raising the bottom portion of the container at a predetermined speed, an accurate classification can be obtained through making the particles, whose sedimentation rate is faster than the bottom raising speed, overflown from the upper brim of the container.
Further, there have also been provided devices as disclosed in Patent Application Laid-Open No. Showa 59-196760 and Patent Application Laid-Open No. Heisei 3-178352, wherein the substances can be classified into two groups by adjusting the density of the liquid in which they are dispersed, so that the substance having a density larger than that of the liquid is precipitated, and the substance having smaller density than the same is floated.
However, it is to be noted that many of these methods are for classifying substances into only two groups, but not for classifying into a plurality of groups, for example, as for classifying cell masses in all growing stages or the like. Further, since a turbulent flow is generated in a tube, a degree of precision in the classification suitable for classifying substances such as the cell masses can not be expected.
In order to solve this problem, the applicants have provided a precipitation classifying device, as disclosed in Patent Application Laid-Open No. Heisei 5-125743, which can classify a large quantity of substances to be classified into a large number of groups, wherein the substances to be classified include various types of groups in all growing stages like cell masses.
FIG. 7 shows a side sectional view of the above device, in which reference numeral 4 denotes a cylindrical classifying tank whose internal surface is substantially smooth and the axial direction thereof is set horizontally. At one opening end of the classifying tank 4, a first conical pipeline 2, which is gradually narrowed in the outside direction and having an opening tip 2a at the far end thereof, is fixed by means of a screw or the like taking advantage of a flange 5. Observing from the tip 2a side, this first conical pipeline 2 is gradually expanded toward the classifying tank 4 to the extent at which the liquid is not converted to a turbulent flow.
Further, at the other opening end of the classifying tank 4, a second conical pipeline 10, which is gradually narrowed in the outside direction and having an open tip 10a at the far end thereof, is also mounted by means of a screw or the like taking advantage of a flange 11. Observing from the open tip 10a, this second conical pipeline 10 is also gradually expanded toward the classifying tank 4 to the extent at which the liquid is not converted to a turbulent flow.
Removably mounted at the open tip 2a of the first conical pipeline 2 is a pipe 1 by means of a union 3, and equally a pipe 13 is removably mounted at the tip 10a of the second conical pipeline 10 by way of a union 12. The pipe 13 goes round to be connected with the pipe 1, and within the thus connected line, a drain 31, a pump 32, a flux regulating valve 33 and a flow meter 34 are also connected.
Further, there is also disposed a liquid flow rectifying grid 14 near the above one opening end of the classifying tank 4, which rectifying grid 14 being formed of an extremely thin material and removably mounted in an inserting mode. The liquid flow rectifying grid 14 is an apparatus for preventing the liquid flowing in from the first conical pipeline 2 from converting to a turbulent flow.
In addition, there is provided a slot 4a for throwing substances to be classified thereinto near the above opening end of the classifying tank 4, and a pipe 37 extending in the vertical direction is connected thereto by way of a union 38. In the intermediate portion of the pipe 37, there is provided a ball valve (on/off valve) 39, and at the uppermost end thereof, a container (not shown) including liquid having tiny substances such as cell masses to be classified is connected.
Further, at the lowest portion of the classifying tank 4, there are provided a plurality of tubular partitioned parts 6 (6a, 6b, . . . ), each of which is narrowed in the downward direction, and connected with a half union 7 for enabling an easy removal of a tube 8 made of a silicon or the like. By the way, an opening/closing operation of the tube 8 is done by each of pinch-cocks 9. The other end of the tube 8 is each connected with another apparatus that performs an adjacent next process.
The operation of the above device is as follows.
First, the device is filled with liquid, which is circulated within the device by the pump 32. The flowing direction of the liquid within the classifying tank 4 is from left to right, and the flowing speed thereof in the same tank is controlled by the flux regulating valve 33 disposed in the downstream of the pump 32 and can be checked by a flow meter 34 disposed in the downstream of the flux regulating valve 33.
The supplied cell masses freely drop down through the pipe 37 into the classifying tank 4. When the cell masses have reached inside the classifying tank 4, the dropping speed thereof have reached to the maximum level, and then drop down at the same speed thereafter. In the classifying tank 4, since the liquid flows at a predetermined speed in the horizontal direction, the cell masses which have entered into the tank 4 drop down drawing an oblique downward line to reach to the partitioned parts 6a, 6b, . . . , so as to be classified therein.
At this stage, the larger cell masses having the fastest maximum dropping speed drop down into the leftmost partitioned section 6a, and those having the minimum dropping speed drop down into the rightmost section 6. This way, the cell masses can be classified in accordance with the growing stage of each thereof. The cell masses dropped into the partitioned section 6 are respectively transferred to the adjacent next process through tubes 8.
However, the above-mentioned prior precipitation classifying devices are all made such that the substance collecting operation is done by opening and/or closing the tube with a pinch cock disposed at the opening outlet, so that for collecting the substances, the device has to be stopped functioning, the pinch cock has to be opened by all manual operations in order to take out the entire substances together with the liquid, and it is quite clear that it is not only impossible to collect the substances automatically during the classifying operation, but there is also possibility of contamination by viruses or the like in a step for transmitting the thus extracted substances.